LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST IS A GRAMMY AND
EMMY AWARD WINNER WHO NEXT WEEK STARS IN "THE LITTLE
MERMAID LIVE!" SHE IS ENTERTAINMENT ROYALTY.
PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW," QUEEN LATIFAH!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> DAMN, MAN!
THAT'S A BAD, BAD BAND, MAN!
>> Stephen: THEY ARE.
THEY SOUND AMAZING, DON'T THEY?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: SO NICE TO MEET
YOU.
JON AND I WERE TALKING BEFORE, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE NEVER MET YOU
BEFORE.
>> I CAN'T EITHER.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S EVER HAPPENED.
WE'VE HAD TO AT LEAST BEEN IN THE SAME PLACE SOMEWHERE.
>> Stephen: NO, I WOULD REMEMBER MEETING THE QUEEN.
>> I CAN'T REMEMBER BUT I FEEL LIKE I KNOW YOU, I HAVE BEEN
WATCHING YOU FOR SO LONG, RIGHT YOU JUST FEEL LIKE --
>> Stephen: WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOU FOR A LONG TIME,
TOO.
YOU HAVE BEEN THE QUEEN FOR 30 YEARS BECAUSE THIS YEAR IS THE
30th ANNIVERSARY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: SO ALL HAIL THE
QUEEN!
YOU STILL GOT IT!
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE WAITING FOR AN EAGLE TO
LAND ON YOUR ARM OR A FALCON OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> I WAS.
A COUPLE OF FOURTH OF JULYS AGO I ACTUALLY DID LAND THERE.
>> Stephen: NOVEMBER 28th, 1989 IS WHEN THAT ALBUM CAME
OUT.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO CELEBRATE?
>> 1989!
ANOTHER SUMMER!
SORRY, I WENT INTO SOME PUBLIC ENEMY.
HAD A FLASHBACK.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ANY PARTIES?
>> THIRTY YEARS, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE THROWING ME A PARTY!
>> Stephen: LET'S DO IT RIGHT NOW.
>> HEY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.
MAN, I MEAN, COME ON, I HAVE BEEN REPRESENTING THE WOMEN FOR
30 YEARS!
>> Stephen: THERE WE GO.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> YOU SEEM PRETTY GOOD AT THIS.
>> Stephen: OH, I WAS A WAITER.
>> LOOK AT THAT!
>> Stephen: I WAS A WAITER FOR A LONG TIME, MAN.
DID YOU EVER WAIT TABLES?
WHAT WAS YOUR TOUGHEST JOB YOU EVER HAD?
>> WAIT TABLES, YOU MEAN WHEN I WORKED AT BURGER KING?
>> Stephen: DID YOU WORK THE COUNTER OR THE FRY STATION?
WHAT DID YOU DO?
>> THEY NEVER LET ME GET TO THE COUNTER.
I WOULD PROBABLY COME HOME WITH $500 A WEEK, EASILY.
>> Stephen: IN TIPS?
YEP!
AND THE WRONG KIND OF TIPS.
NO, I WAS MAKING BURGERS.
>> Stephen: MMM.
I THOUGHT YOU WAS COOL, MAN.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID I DO?
I KNOW YOU AIN'T WHIPPING OUT NO BENIETS ON ME.
WHAT IS THAT?
>> Stephen: IT'S -- WHAT DO THEY CALL THEM?
ZEPOLIS.
YOU DON'T LIKE THESE?
>> YOU JUST DON'T DO THAT.
YOU JUST DON'T WHIP OUT -- ZEPOLIS ARE LIKE BENIETS.
YOU DON'T COME OUT YOUR BACK POCKET WITH A BENIET ON SOMEBODY
WITH A HOT BENIET OR ZEPOLI/FUNNEL CAKE AND
CHAMPAGNE.
>> Stephen: WHY?
BECAUSELY EAT THAT WHOLE PLATE!
YOU KNOW WHAT MEAN?
AND WE'LL HAVE TO WORK IT OFF.
>> Stephen: AND POWDERED SUGAR ALL OVER.
>> WHICH WOULD BE KIND OF THEN YOU.
>> Stephen: IT WILL BE.
WE'LL SAVE IT FOR THE END.
LET'S EARN IT.
>> IT IS THE "LATE SHOW."
>> Stephen: WHEN YOU WERE 19 YEARS OLD, HOW DID YOU FORESEE
YOUR CAREER?
BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD EXTRAORDINARY -- YOU ARE IN THE
MIDDLE OF AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER.
I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT AN EMMY, YOU'VE GOT A GRAMMY, YOU HAVE
BEEN NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR, YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO TH THE LI LIT
MERMAID LIVE.
WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO BE DOING?
>> I PLAN TO BE DOING STUFF.
I PLAN TO BE DOING STUFF FOR A LONG TIME.
THE WORLD WAS MY OYSTER AT 19.
IT WAS LIKE THE RECORD DROPPED, PEOPLE WERE RECEIVING IT WELL, I
WAS TOURING AND PERFORMING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AROUND THE
WORLD, OPENING UP FOR PEOPLE.
I WAS STILL A BABY ACT, SO...
>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER IMAGINE YOU WOULD BE GETTING THE
WEB DUBOIS MEDAL?
THAT'S EXTRAORDINAIRE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> YEAH, SEE THAT RIGHT THERE IS
WORTH TOASTING TO.
>> Stephen: IN THE PAST TO MIA AN LOOKS, MOHAMED ALI, OPRAH.
>> MY FAVORITE ATHLETE, MOHAMED ALI.
>> Stephen: MAYA ANGELOU, HER FAVORITE ATHLETE.
>> YEAH, I KNOW.
SHE WOULD HAVE LAUGHED AT THAT.
>> Stephen: I HOPE SO.
I THINK SHE WOULD HAVE.
I LOVED HER, TOO.
SHE WAS AMAZING.
I WOULD JUST TALK TO HER SOMETIMES ON THE PHONE.
>> Stephen: DID YOU REALLY JUST CALL UP MAYA ANGELOU AND
TALK?
>> YEAH, SHE USED TO HAVE A RADIO SHOW.
SO I CALLED IN ONE TIME SO I HAD HER NUMBER.
SHE WOULD DO IT FROM HER HOUSE DOWN SOUTH.
SO EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I WOULD TALK TO HER ON THE PHONE.
IT WAS THE MOST LOVELY THING IN THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: WHAT SORT OF THINGS WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT
BECAUSE SHE'S A GIANT?
>> JUST NORMAL THINGS.
JUST SHE WOULD ALWAYS BE VERY PROUD OF YOU.
I COULD SEE WHY OPRAH LOOKED AT HER LIKE A MOTHER FIGURE BECAUSE
SHE WAS VERY LOVING, VERY KIND, GENEROUS AND, YOU KNOW, SHE
ALWAYS HAD -- SEE, ME AT 19 AT THAT AGE, THAT YEAR, PEOPLE
DOUBTED HIP-HOP.
THEY DOUBTED US.
THEY DIDN'T THINK WE COULD ACCOMPLISH THE THINGS WE WERE
TRYING TO DO.
SOMEBODY LIKE MAYA ANGELOU WOULD HAVE BEEN, LIKE, YEAH, YOU KEEP
DOING THAT, THAT'S GREAT, GO FOR IT!
SO THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE THAT THAT SUPPORTED US BACK THEN AND
I JUST THINK SHE IS ALWAYS TBHANT KIND OF PERSON.
AND SHE WOULD BE THAT FOR ANY KID NOW.
YOU WOULD BE, LIKE, WHAT ARE THEY DOING AND SAYING?
SHE WOULD BE YOU JUST LET THEM SAY WHAT THEY SAY.
THAT'S OUR JOB.
WE'VE GOT TO LET THE YOUTH DO WHAT THEY DO.
>> Stephen: WE'VE GOT A LOT OF VISUAL AIDS TONIGHT.
>> THEY'RE ALL GOOD.
>> Stephen: THIS IS PRETTY EXCITING.
THAT'S AMAZING.
YOU ARE PLAYING URSULA IN -- >> URSULA.
>> Stephen: "THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE!" OVER ON ABC.
FIRST OF ALL, DOES THE LIVE MAKE YOU NERVOUS AT ALL?
>> WELL, THIS IS LIVE, YOU KNOW.
THEY'RE LIVE.
YOU KNOW THE FEELING WHEN IT'S LIVE!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) I DIDN'T GET INTO THIS GAME NOT
TO DO LIVE.
>> Stephen: WE'RE NOT BROADCASTING RIGHT NOW.
IF FOR SOME REASON -- AND IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN -- IF I WOULD
MAKE A MISTAKE IN THE MONOLOGUE, I COULD RESTART AND DO IT AGAIN,
BUT IT'S NEVER HAPPENED, I'VE NEVER MADE A MISTAKE, BUT WE
COULD FIX IT.
YOU CAN'T FIX A MISTAKE WHEN YOU'RE REALLY LIVE.
>> THAT'S TRUE, BECAUSE I COULD LITERALLY SAY -- I'M NOT GOING
TO SAY IT.
BUT YOU COULD EDIT THAT.
( LAUGHTER ) YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S TERRIFYING,
IT'S EXHILARATING, IT'S EXCITING.
>> Stephen: AND AN INCREDIBLE PART, TOO.
>> BUT THERE'S A PART THAT'S MISSING WHEN YOU'RE NOT LIVE.
SEE, WHEN YOU'RE LIVE, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT JUST ME.
I'M FEEDING OFF OF THEM, THEY'RE GIVING ME ENERGY.
>> Stephen: OH, NO, THEY'RE A BIG PART OF THE SHOW.
>> WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 500 PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.
>> Stephen: OH, YOU HAVE LIVE AUDIENCES, TOO.
>> THIS IS BEING SHOT COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY, YES.
THANK YOU.
IT'S ALL OF US.
THEY KNOW THE FEELING.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE 500 PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE AS THE MOVIE
PLAYS, AND EVERY TIME IT GOES TO A LIVE SONG, A SONG IN THE
MOVIE, IT WOULD BE PERFORMED LIVE.
SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENT THING THAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS THAT
WE'VE NEVER DONE AT ANYTHING ELSE I'VE DONE BEFORE.
>> Stephen: NO UNDERSTUDY?
NO UNDERSTUDY TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
I MIGHT HAVE TO KIND OF NIP HER IN THE PINKY TOE IF I FIND OUT
BECAUSE SHE'S NOT GETTING MY JOB.
YOU'RE NOT GETTING MY JOB.
I'M GOING TO COME IN THERE AND I'M GOING TO SHUT URSULA DOWN.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( MANIACAL LAUGHING )
>> YOU'VE GOT TO WATCH IT ON TUESDAY!
>> Stephen: CHEERS.
CHEERS.
>> Stephen: TO THE QUEEN, EVERYBODY!
TO THE QUEEN!
"THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE!" AIRS TUESDAY MOVE 5 ON ABC.
QUEEN LATIFAH, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH "VANITY FAIR"'S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RADHIKA